attractions page

		Downtown Theatre District www.houstontheaterdistrict.com Houston’s Theatre and Cultural District covers 16 blocks and includes Jones Hall, Alley Theatre, Wortham Centre, Tranquility Park, and the Hobby Centre for the Performing Arts. Downtown architectural tours are available. (3 min.)

		Downtown Aquarium www.downtownaquarium.com Eat, drink and play at this 7-acre (2.8-hectare) downtown aquatic adventure. The $36 million complex boasts 500,000 gallons (2,300,000 liters) of visible underwater tanks with more than 200 species of marine life. The Shark Voyage is a highlight: travel via train into an acrylic tunnel with live sharks swimming overhead. For an incredible view of the city, ride the 100-foot (30-meter) Diving Bell Ferris Wheel or go for a spin on the Aquatic Carousel. See educational exhibits of themed underwater environments. (3 min.)

		Hermann Park www.hermannpark.org Hermann Park is the site of the Kipp Aquarium, the Houston Zoological Gardens, a golf course, jogging trails and an amphitheatre. The park also features miniature train rides, picnic areas and children’s playgrounds. (15 min.)

		Houston Arboretum and Nature Center www.houstonnaturecenter.org Housing one of the largest collections of flora and fauna native to the Southwest, the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center offers walking trails and narrated tours. (15 min.)

		Children’s Museum of Houston www.cmhouston.org Children are encouraged to touch, discover and learn at the Children’s Museum of Houston. There are exhibits on science and technology, history and world cultures, health and the arts. (10 min.)

		Holocaust Museum Houston www.hmh.org The first institution of its kind in the Southwest, the museum serves as a memorial to the millions of people who were imprisoned and killed in Nazi death camps during World War II. (10 min.)

		Houston Museum of Natural Science www.hmns.org Contains the Wortham IMAX Theatre and a variety of natural science exhibits. The Cockrell Butterfly Centre houses thousands of butterflies in a high-tech tropical environment. Burke Baker Planetarium offers entertaining and educational shows on the solar system and the universe. (10 min.)

Museum of Fine Arts Houston
www.mfah.org
The Museum of Fine Arts houses an acclaimed permanent collection including the Bayou Bend Collection, the museum’s American decorative arts assemblage housed in a 24-room mansion; the Glassel School of Art, offering art history classes for adults and children; and the Lillie and Hugh Roy Cullen Sculpture Garden, a landscaped setting for the museum’s 19th- and 20th-century sculptures.

The addition of the Audrey Jones Beck Building makes MFAH the sixth-largest museum in the country in terms of exhibition space. (10 min.)

		The Menil Collection www.menil.org The Menil Collection houses art assembled by John and Dominique de Menil, covering prehistoric to modern times, including tribal art. The Menil has more than 15,000 paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, photographs and rare books. Closed on major holidays. (15 min.)

		Space Center Houston www.spacecenter.org Observe Mission Control in action, watch astronauts in training, view IMAX movies, touch moon rocks and walk through the Sky Lab. Learn how astronauts eat, sleep and shower in space! See Concierge for details. (30 min.)

		Six Flags AstroWorld/Water World www.sixflags.com AstroWorld has 11 exciting coasters including the Texas Cyclone, one of the world’s greatest wooden coasters; The Texas Tornado, the steepest four-loop coaster in the world and Dungeon Drop, Texas’ tallest scream machine. You can also enjoy AstroWorld’s dazzling lineup of blockbuster shows, catch the nightly pyrotechnics extravaganza at the Lagoon Theater or check out some of the concerts that AstroWorld hosts. Six Flags WaterWorld is Houston’s premier waterpark. See if you’ve got what it takes to brave Texas’ wildest, wettest thrills like Big Kahuna, a family raft ride, and Reef Runner, where you can race your friends head-to-head on our six lane water slide! Don’t forget to cool off in Hook’s Lagoon, our five-storey interactive water treehouse! (20 min.)

		Battleship Texas www.tpwd.state.tx.us/park/battlesh/visitor.htm Walk the deck of Battleship Texas, and the ship’s history comes to life as if you were there in the middle of the action. The USS Texas is a lucky battleship. It survived World Wars I and II, was hit by enemy fire only twice and lost only one sailor. After Britain began building the first dreadnaughts in the late 1890s – a class of battleship designed to hold powerful guns – every large, arms-bearing nation followed suit. The United States was the last to build and the Texas is now the only remaining dreadnought in the world. (45 min.)

		Galveston Island www.galveston.com Fifty miles (80 kilometres) south of Houston, the popular island provides an oasis of beaches, shopping, restaurants and assorted tourist amusements. The over 30 miles (48 kilometers) of beaches have long been a draw, but with the revival of the historic Strand District and the addition of Moody Gardens with its aquarium, 3-D Imax theatre and rainforest pyramid, Galveston’s appeal has broadened. Mardi Gras and Dickens on the Strand are annual highlights, along with Spring Break festivities. (1 hour)

		Moody Gardens www.moodygardens.com The natural beauty of Moody Gardens is home to the King Penguin exhibit, with 40 of our fine feathered friends. It is also home to the Discovery Museum, a 3D IMAX Ridefilm theatre, the Rainforest Pyramid, and the Aquarium. (1 hour)

		The Galleria www.galleriahouston.com The Galleria is considered one of the world’s great retail centres. It has over 300 shops, including Neiman Marcus, Lord & Taylor, Tiffany & Co., Macy’s, Nordstrom, Chanel, Gucci and Saks Fifth Avenue. The Galleria also has many restaurants and an ice skating rink. (15 min.)

		The Shops at Houston Center www.theshopsathoustoncenter.com/shc.asp The Shops at Houston Center is a three- level shopping mall in downtown Houston which also connects to the city’s underground tunnel system. (1 min.)

		Katy Mills www.katymills.com Big, even for Texas, this outlet mall appeals to resident shoppers and tourists alike. Stores such as Banana Republic Factory, Pfaltzgraff, Marshall’s, Brooks Brothers Factory Store, Off 5th, and Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World are featured. Kids can keep themselves busy at the rock climbing wall or at the 20-screen AMC theatre. (1 hour)

		Minute Maid Park www.astros.com Home of baseball’s Houston Astros. Tours given daily at 10:00 am, noon, 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm. (5 min.)

		Reliant Park www.relaintpark.com The stadium at Reliant Park features a natural grass field, the first retractable roof and the closest front-row seating in the NFL, and seats 69,500. Reliant Park is also home to local favorites the Houston Texans. (15 min.)

		Toyota Center www.houstontoyotacenter.com The Toyota Center brings sports, music and family entertainment to downtown. Home of the NBA’s Houston Rockets, WNBA’s Houston Comets and the IHL’s Houston Aeros. (7 min.)